Old machineries, no safety measures: Sigachi plant explosion probe points to gross negligence

Pashamylaram/Patancheru: As families of the victims struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones, serious safety lapses by Sigachi Industries management continue to unfold. The death toll from Monday's devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries' dryer unit in Sangareddy district has climbed to 38, with approximately 11 people still reported missing.

A senior official from a Telangana government regulatory body told DH that Sigachi had neither basic blast preventive measures nor proper evacuation mechanisms in place. Interactions with several injured staff members revealed they had previously raised concerns about the use of outdated machinery, highlighting warnings that went unheeded.

However, a company representative has suggested that sabotage cannot be ruled out as a contributing factor to the tragedy. The preliminary investigation has uncovered alarming deficiencies in the facility's safety infrastructure.

The company lacked essential safety equipment including fire alarms, heat detection systems, and automatic shutdown mechanisms, all critical components for preventing and containing industrial accidents of this magnitude.

"We were always a little apprehensive about the machinery in place. In fact, we raised the issue with the management in the past, but there was no response," a Sigachi Industries staff member who escaped Monday's explosion told DH.

However, a top executive at Sigachi Industries disputed claims of factory lapses. "If there had been lapses, we would not have operated our factory for more than 35 years. At this moment, we cannot determine what went wrong or where. An expert is reaching to the site to investigate whether the equipment malfunctioned or if something else caused the issue. Only then can we discuss the reasons behind the incident," said Sigachi Industries Whole-Time Director & Vice Chairman Chidambarnathan Shanmuganathan.

Police have registered an FIR against Sigachi Industries management under sections 105 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 117 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), indicating potential criminal liability for the incident.

The complainant whose statement formed the basis of the FIR also flagged these safety concerns. Rajanala Sai Yashwanth, who lost his father Venkat Jagan Mohan, 55, in the explosion, said Sigachi management continued operating with old machinery despite repeated warnings. Mohan had been working at the Sigachi company in Pashamylaram village for the past 20 years.

"My father and other employees of the Sigachi company had already informed the management several times regarding the need to change machinery as it was too old, and every possibility of danger could occur, causing heavy loss to property and lives," Yashwanth said in his complaint.

"But the company management turned a deaf ear to the concerns of company workers and continued with the old machinery, as a result of which an explosion occurred. The Sigachi company management, despite knowing that working with old machinery would cause heavy loss to property and manpower, willfully continued with the old machinery, due to which deaths and several injuries occurred to company employees," Yashwanth said in his complaint, based on which an FIR was registered at Bhanur police station.

It has also emerged that the management had reportedly subleased the factory premises to a third party to undertake job work for manufacturing Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC), which is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. MCC can add weight to drugs and facilitate active ingredients to function effectively while helping drugs conform to weight specifications.

Sources in the pharmaceutical industry told DH that while the production of MCC, considered a safe substance, does involve risky processes, these can be managed safely if appropriate procedures are followed by trained personnel. This has left these experts in the pharma field baffled as to how a blast of such magnitude that claimed so many lives could have occurred.

Sigachi Industries, incorporated in 1989, manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) and pharmaceutical powders with a diversified presence in pharmaceuticals, food, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics sectors. The company employs workers from various states across India and operates five manufacturing facilities across the country, including the one in Pashamylaram, Hyderabad.